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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Over the past year we have swapped post cards with people all over the U.S., Canada and even Europe. We joined an online Yahoo group called Post Cards for Kids and have collected some really cool cards. We have put up a map and we highlight the cities and states from which we receive cards as we trade. My kids LOVE to get mail; they run down to the curb to collect it when they see the mail man coming! Really, you'd think he was Santa or something.

I love that it's such an interesting way to introduce them to new information. We've gone way beyond geography and discussed history, weather and climates, seasons, famous Americans, transportation, mapping and distances, architecture, and the list goes on. We've discovered places we'd never heard of and lots of places we hope to see some day.

Our collection is ever growing and I've posted an album of some of our cards. We have tons more that I will add...one day, when I find the time to scan them all and upload them.

This has been a great project for us. I think we'll keep collecting as long as we are enjoying it and learning new things. This year I hope to take our project around the globe and add a flat Stanley collection to our project.
Here are some more links to fun geography-related project for kids:Pen Pal Resources @ A to Z Home's CoolPen Pal NotesLittle Passports

Aloha! Happy Friday to you! Thanks for stopping by. Just a few simple questions today...

Do you enter blog giveaways? Do you seek them out? Have you won anything?

I generally enter them as I come across them if they interest me or my kids. I have won a few cool prizes including several kids DVD's, a $50 Amazon gift card, a $50 Photofiddle gift certificate, and a Munchie Mug. I love giveaways/reviews and think they a great way to find about new products and winning is so much fun! What do you think?

You've heard what's in the bill. It's equally surprising what did not make it in. Courtesy of the House Republican Leadership, here is a list of amendments that failed in committee.

- Stop the government-run health plan. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) offered an amendment to improve the legislation by taking out the section of the bill that would create a government-run health plan to compete with private sector health plans. Reps. Phil Roe (R-TN) and John Kline (R-MN) offered similar amendments in the Education & Labor Committee. The amendments were all killed in committee.

- Prevent bureaucrats from making personal medical decisions for patients. Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D. (R-GA) offered an amendment in the Energy & Commerce Committee to bar federal political appointees and bureaucrats from intervening in patient treatment decisions. The Gingrey amendment would have ensured patients and doctors remain as the sole individuals responsible for making these critical decisions. Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) led Democrats in opposition to the amendment, which was defeated.

- Require all Members of Congress to get their health insurance through the proposed government-run plan. Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) offered an amendment in the Ways & Means Committee that would have required Members of Congress to enroll immediately in the government-run health plan that would be established under the Democratic bill. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) offered an amendment to put his committee on the record in support of enrolling Members of Congress in the government-run plan as well. While the Wilson amendment was approved by voice vote in the Education & Labor Committee, the Heller amendment was killed in the Ways & Means Committee.

- Keep the federal government out of health care decisions. Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) offered an amendment to prohibit the federal government from conducting so-called comparative effectiveness research, in which the federal government would ultimately help determine which medical treatments are administered to whom in America - otherwise known as government rationing of health care. The Herger amendment was defeated. Days later, in a July 22 prime-time press conference, President Obama told the nation the health care bill "will keep government out of health care decisions," despite the fact that the comparative effectiveness language remains in the bill.

- Protect Americans from "hurry up and wait." Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) offered an amendment that would repeal the government-run health plan if wait times exceed the average wait times in private plans. The Brady amendment was not passed.

- Stop the job-killing employer mandate. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) offered an amendment in the Committee on Ways & Means to improve the Democratic legislation by taking out the section of the bill that requires American employers to provide health coverage for all of their employees, and Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) offered similar amendments in the Committee on Education & Labor. Independent analysts agree this Democratic mandate on employers is likely to result in the elimination of millions of American jobs, and it could hardly come at a worse moment for the nation's economy. The GOP amendments were killed in committee.

- Suspend the job-killing employer mandate if the national unemployment rate reaches 10 percent. Reps. Wally Herger (R-CA) and Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) offered amendments in their committees that would suspend the job-killing employer mandate in the bill if the national unemployment rate reaches or goes above 10 percent. (It is currently at 9.5 percent.) The Herger and Hoekstra amendments were killed in both the Ways & Means and Education & Labor Committees.

- Waive the employer mandate if it will cause layoffs, worker salary cuts, or reductions in hiring. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) offered an amendment that would waive the employer mandate in the Democrats' health care bill for any employer who certifies, under procedures developed by the Secretary of the Treasury, that it would pose a financial hardship resulting in layoffs of existing workers, reductions in salary of existing workers, or the inability to expand via hiring new employees. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) offered a similar amendment in the Education & Labor Committee, and it was adopted by voice vote. However, the Reichert amendment was killed in the Ways & Means Committee.

- Protect employers from unfair taxation. Under the Democratic bill as written, if an employer offers qualifying health care coverage but an employee rejects it for any reason, the employer can still be slapped with an 8 percent tax on the value of that employee's wages as a result of the job-killing employer mandate in the bill. Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY) offered an amendment to fix this problem and protect employers from such unfair penalization. The Davis amendment was killed in committee.

- Protect employers who offer health care coverage to their workers. As written, the Democratic health care bill would gut ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act), the federal law that makes it possible for millions of American workers to receive quality health care benefits and other benefits through their employers. Rep. John Kline (R-MN) offered an amendment to fix this flaw and shield employers who offer health care coverage to their workers from being caught up in a web of legal liability systems that would vary from state to state. The Kline amendment was killed in committee.

- Create small business health plans. Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA) offered an amendment that would modify the bill to allow the creation of small business health plans (also known as Association Health Plans) that allow trade, industry, professional, or other business associations to form and purchase health care coverage at a lower cost. The McKeon amendment was killed in committee.

- Keep unnecessary lawsuits from driving up health costs. Under the Democratic bill, Americans would be required to obtain their health care through a "national health insurance exchange" that is limited to "qualified" providers. In the Ways & Means Committee, Rep. John Linder (R-GA) offered an amendment that would keep the so-called exchange from operating in states that do not have reasonable limits on lawsuits relating to medical care. Unnecessary lawsuits have long been identified as one of the primary factors in rising health costs nationwide. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) offered a similar amendment in the Education & Labor Committee that would prevent the creation of the so-called "exchange." Both the Linder and Thompson amendments were voted down.

- Prevent taxpayer-funded health benefits from going to illegal immigrants. Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) offered an amendment that would increase safeguards to ensure taxpayer-funded benefits do not go to individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States. This amendment, too, was killed.

- Prevent taxpayer funding of abortion. Reps. Sam Johnson (R-TX), Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Mark Souder (R-IN) offered amendments to remove language from the legislation that would result in American taxpayers subsidizing abortion-on-demand. A recent Zogby survey determined that more than 70 percent of Americans are opposed to taxpayer funding of abortion. The amendment did not pass.

- Ensure states are not forced to provide abortion benefits. In the Energy & Commerce Committee, Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA) offered an amendment to ensure that states are not required to provide coverage for abortion - or even procedures such as Botox injections and hair plugs. Under the Democrats' legislation, the federal government could deny the states funding if such services are not provided. Rep. Deal's amendment was rejected in a party-line vote.

- Prevent health care providers from being forced into a government-run plan. Rep. Charles Boustany, M.D. (R-LA), a physician, offered an amendment to prevent American health care providers from being forced into the government-run plan established under the Democratic bill. The Boustany amendment was killed in committee.

- Require the government-run plan to operate under the same rules as private health plans. Rep. Boustany offered an amendment to improve the Democratic legislation by requiring that the government-run plan established in the bill maintain reserves and other margins in amounts consistent with the standards that apply to private plans. Reserves would have to come from premiums, not federal subsidies. This amendment was not passed.

- Specify that Congress should read the health care bill before voting on it. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) offered an amendment expressing the sense of Congress that Members of Congress should read the health care bill before they vote on it. More than 80 House Republicans have signed a pledge vowing they will not vote to enact a health care bill they have not read and which has not been posted online publicly for at least 72 hours. The Brady amendment was defeated in committee.

- Keep President Obama's tax pledge not to raise taxes. Last year, in his campaign for the presidency, President Obama pledged he would not raise taxes on anyone making less than $200,000 ($250,000 for those filing jointly), but the health care legislation written by House Democrats would violate this pledge. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) offered an amendment that would keep the new taxes proposed in the Democratic legislation from applying to those with incomes under $200,000 ($250,000 for those filing jointly). The Ryan amendment was killed in committee. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) offered a similar amendment in the Education & Labor Committee. It was not even allowed to come to a vote.

- Keep President Obama's pledge that health care reform will not add to the deficit. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) offered an amendment to prohibit the government-controlled health care system from taking effect unless the legislation is and remains "deficit neutral." The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the nonpartisan "scorekeeper" for Congress, has determined that the bill as drafted will add hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit. The McClintock amendment was killed in committee.

- Ensure that workers who like their current health plan can keep it. Reps. Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Tom Price (R-GA) offered an amendment to ensure that Americans who like their current employer-provided coverage can keep it by shielding such coverage from the costly and complex new mandates in the Democratic health care bill. Under the amendment, employer -based health plans that comply with ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act), the federal law that makes it possible for millions of American workers to receive quality health care benefits and other benefits through their employers, would be considered as having met all of the mandates specified in the bill. The Biggert-Price amendment was killed in committee.

- Stop seniors from being stripped of their health care choices. Rep. Brown-Waite offered an amendment that would remove portions of the health care bill that would cut the Medicare Advantage program. Such cuts would impact millions of seniors nationwide, taking away their choices and forcing them into a government-run health care plan with fewer options. The Brown-Waite amendment was killed in committee.

- Prohibit unfair advantages for government-run health plan. The Democratic health care bill would create a government-run health care plan to "compete" with private sector plans that currently provide health coverage for millions of Americans. House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN) has warned that a government-run health care plan will compete with private sector health plans "the way an alligator competes with a duck," and the legislation written by Democrats would allow the government-run health plan to have distinct advantages at the expense of taxpayers and private plan enrollees. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) offered an amendment that would prohibit the Secretary of Health & Human Services from basing payment rates for the government-run health plan established under the Democratic bill on Medicare rates, and instead would require that they pay an average of what private plans in the market pay. The Roskam amendment was killed in committee.

- Keep the federal government from choosing "favored" physicians. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), a physician, offered an amendment to keep eliminate the flawed "tiered" payment structure in the health care bill, which would give preference to physicians who participate in the government-run health care plan. This provision would allow the government to reward physicians who play by its rules while financially harming those who do not. The Price amendment was defeated.

- Allow states to opt out. Bipartisan opposition to the Democratic health care bill has been expressed by governors and state legislators throughout the country. Rep. Price offered an amendment to permit states that have crafted their own health plans to apply for waivers from the Democratic legislation's requirements. The Price amendment was killed in committee.

- Preserve Americans' health care freedom and choice. Many Americans favor Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), which give individual Americans more direct control over their health care spending, but the Democratic bill as written would wreak havoc on HSAs and similar tools that empower individuals and consumers. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) offered an amendment to improve the Democratic bill by ensuring that HSAs would not be shut down or gutted by federal mandates. Specifically, the Cantor amendment stated that HSAs tied to high deductible health plans are deemed to meet the "minimum benefit level requirements" under the Democratic bill, and struck changes to the bill's "definition of allowable medical expenses" for HSAs and similar accounts. The Cantor amendment was defeated in committee. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) offered an amendment to provide greater portability and individual control over health care by allowing employers to contribute to "defined contribution" health care plans, which workers could use to purchase the coverage and services of their choice. The Price amendment was defeated in the Education & Labor.

- Slow Medicare's march toward bankruptcy. Concerned about the coming fiscal tsunami that will result from out-of-control spending on entitlement programs, the GOP-led Congress earlier this decade passed legislation specifying that if 45 percent or more of the Medicare program's funding came from general tax revenues for two consecutive years, the President had to submit to Congress legislation that would slow spending and make the program financially stable. Democrats gutted this rule as part of their rules package for the current Congress. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) offered an amendment to restore it. The amendment was killed in committee.

- Prohibit new taxes until Medicare fraud rate is reduced to below 1 percent. Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) offered an amendment to improve the bill by specifying that the new taxes that would be imposed on Americans under the bill could not take effect unless the fraud rate in Medicare is reduced to below 1 percent of the amount of taxpayer money spent on the program. The Camp amendment was killed in committee.

The contest has been closed and the winners have been selected. Congratulations to #5 Shana and #25 Jamie Leigh! You will each receive a copy of Usborne's Big Book of Things To Spot. You have 48 hours to claim your prizes. I hope you enjoy the books!If you are stopping by today, be sure to enter my $30 Skin Free Giveaway and my JumpStart subscription giveaway! I invite you to subscribe to my feed so you don't miss out on the fun and more upcoming giveaways!

Monday, July 27, 2009

This week's blog hop topic is one near and dear to mom's heart...favorite kid pics! It's hard for any mom to pick one favorite photo, or even twelve. I've selected a few from the thousands that I have. I hope you enjoy them and happy blog hopping!

I have recently heard (and seen) all the buzz about back to school preparations and have read blog posts of many friends who are preparing to homeschool this year. One question that comes up often on homeschool lists is, "How do you homeschool with toddlers and preschoolers at home too?" I came across this article with some wonderful tips on the subject and thought it would be a timely thing to share. Here are some additional resources on learning through the early years.

I also love this poem by Mrs. Roy L. Peifer. It is a great reminder of what young ones really need from us.

I Took His Hand and FollowedMrs. Roy L. Peifer

My dishes went unwashed today,I didn't make the bed,I took his hand and followedWhere his eager footsteps led.Oh yes, we went adventuring,My little son and I...Exploring all the great outdoorsBeneath the summer skyWe waded in a crystal stream,We wandered through a wood...My kitchen wasn't swept todayBut life was gay and good.We found a cool, sun-dappled gladeAnd now my small son knowsHow Mother Bunny hides her nest,Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.We watched a robin feed her young,We climbed a sunlit hill...Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,We plucked a daffodil.That my house was neglected,That I didn't brush the stairs,In twenty years, no one on earthWill know, or even care.But that I've helped my little boyTo noble manhood grow,In twenty years, the whole wide worldMay look and see and know.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Greetings friends! For today's Quotable Sunday I have chosen a random selection of quotes that struck my fancy. I hope you enjoy them:

"All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and the afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse, and sorrow, the people and places and how the weather was."-Ernest Hemingway

"The first panacea for a misguided nation is inflation of the currency; the second is war. Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a permanent ruin. But both are the refuge of political and economic opportunists."-Ernest Hemingway

"Whenever a separation is made between liberty and justice, neither, in my opinion, is safe."-Edmund Burke

"It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed ... The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. All history will convince you of this, and that wisdom and penetration are the fruit of experience, not the lessons of retirement and leisure. Great necessities call out great virtues."-Abigail Adams, letter to her son John Quincy Adams

"Every time you wake up and ask yourself, "What good things am I going to do today?", remember that when the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it."-Proverb, "Indian Proverb"

"Among the numerous luxuries of the table...coffee may be considered as one of the most valuable. It excites cheerfulness without intoxication; and the pleasing flow of spirits which it occasions...is never followed by sadness, languor or debility."-Benjamin Franklin

"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."-Benjamin Franklin"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."-Benjamin Franklin, in the Penn. Assembly - Reply To Governor

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however."-Richard Bach

"Every problem has a gift for you in its hands. We seek problems because we need their gifts."-Richard Bach

And lastly, a recent quote from my 7 year old:After receiving some money as a birthday gift I went out shopping, kids in tow. We browsed around and they kept picking things up and bargaining with me to purchase them. I relented and allowed them each to choose a small toy. Heading toward the checkout I realized the cost of our loot was more than I was willing to part with. I began putting some of my things back. When I got to the last item I had selected I muttered, "Hey wait a minute, why am I spending all of my money on you again, as usual?" He patted me on the back and replied, "It's just your daily spanks mom, just your daily spanks."

Friday, July 24, 2009

For today's flashback I decided to throw sentiment out the window and usher in some humor. This is me being attacked by Godzilla. That's my friend and co-worker Patti coming to my aid. This was in my pre-marital days as a young advertising production manager. This was an after work function and there may or may not have been some alcohol involved. Please note: No lizards or inebriated young women were harmed in this photo shoot.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Aloha! And happy Friday to you. Is is my imagination or did this week fly by? Maybe it's because I'm a year older now and time is passing me by, sigh. Anyway, on to the fun :D

My question this week is simple: If you could have someone come to your home do one weekly chore for you what would it be? (Assume this is paid for my some generous benefactor) My choice is a toss up between cleaning the bathrooms or the kitchen...either way I'd love for someone to clean the floor while I sit out in the sun sipping a margarita...

Ok, now back to my regularly scheduled chores. But hey, it is Friday. I'm seeing an icy sweet margarita in my future :DDon't forget to enter my giveaways here and here!

Be a firefly scientist and join us for some firefly fun!! Check out Ready, Set, Glow! and get your kids involved in a fun summer science project. The National Children's Museum's Ready, Set, Glow! project is a unique collaboration between the National Children's Museum (NCM) and the Museum of Science, Boston (MOS), designed to help children become "citizen scientists" through studying fireflies in their own backyards and inputting data online. The goal of the project is to engage kids in inquiry-based learning and stewardship of the environment, and above all, to have fun! Here's more from the website:

What states have fireflies?

Fireflies that glow are found in the eastern United States, east of the Mississippi River all the way from Maine to Florida. If you live in the West, in states like California, Oregon and Washington, you probably won't see fireflies. Fireflies like warm, moist climates and scientists think it may be too dry in these states.When can I start watching fireflies?

Fireflies can be seen starting in late spring or early summer. Watch for them starting in June until mid to late August or even September, depending upon where you live.

Counting fireflies is easy and fun!Just follow these simple steps:

Pick a location (like your own backyard!) and register your location on the Museum of Science Boston website.

Citizen Scientist * How many fireflies did you see? * How many different firefly colors did you see? * How many flashing patterns did you see? * Where were the fireflies that you watched?

Record the answers on the MOS data sheet and upload your observations to the website. Use the online tools to have fun helping scientists map where fireflies are found and interacting with fellow Citizen Scientists.

Use the MOS web site to have fun helping scientists map where fireflies are found and interacting with fellow Citizen Scientists.

To learn more about fireflies and to join the Museum of Science, Boston (“MOS”) Firefly Watch Project go to www.mos.org/fireflywatch/.

Monday, July 20, 2009

~CONTEST CLOSED~

Hey there! I am so glad you've stopped by today! And to show my appreciation, I've got a giveaway for you :D One lucky visitor will win this Usborne book packed with fun puzzles for kids. This book features seek and find puzzles galore - over 100 pages in fact. My kids love these puzzles and I bet yours will too. This is a great book to pack for a trip or long car ride. Usborne publishes several versions of the Things To Spot books and I like to keep one in the car to pull out whenever we're stuck somewhere...traffic, the doctor's office, soccer practice...with over 4000 pictures to find, it's provides hours of fun and entertainment. Aside from just plain fun, these puzzles also help develop pre-reading and number skills and feature rain forest animals, a town markets, castles, farms and more.

UPDATE: Great news! Amanda at Hollywood PhotographyMoving Forward, Beautiful Blog Designs,Classical Conversations in Ballentine and Usborne Today has generously offered to donate the Usborne book for my giveaway! Amanda is a busy lady...mom of 4, homeschooler, Usborne Supervisor and blogger too. She has some great info on her sites for all things educational, and blogging. I don't know how she does it all!! I subscribe to her blogs and really enjoy her updates. I know you will too! Be sure to stop by and say hello. And this means I have two books to giveaway so get your entries in now! Plus, you can enter to win Usborne's monthly drawing for $50 in books here!

To enter: Leave a comment telling me another Usborne book you'd like to read. Must include a valid email address (US and Canada only - sorry).

Extra entries: Comment on this post and let me know you did. One entry per comment - unlimited entries :DFave me on technoratiSubscribe to my feed or email updates.Follow publicly in bloggerFollow me on twitter and tweet this giveaway Follow on facebookAll LINKS FOR FOLLOWS ARE IN LEFT SIDE BAR)More entries: Visit one of Amanda's blogs and leave her a comment, then let me know where you did. You'll get three extra entries for each comment you leave her!

That's it! Leave a separate comment for each entry please. I'll draw a winner by random number selection after midnight on Monday, July 27, 2009. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to claim prize. Good luck!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Good morning! And happy Quotable Sunday. I just love great quotes, don't you? For this week's edition, I've chosen quotes on humor. A good sense of it can get you through quite a bit of struggle with much less pain. Hope you enjoy these and have a joyful Sunday :D

Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.William James

A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.William A. Ward

A sense of humor... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.Hugh Sidey

Humor distorts nothing, and only false gods are laughed off their earthly pedestals.Agnes Repplier Humor is merely tragedy standing on its head with its pants torn.Irvin S. Cobb

Humor is the affectionate communication of insight.Leo Rosten

Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is.Francis Bacon For more Quotable Sunday visit: